Broken
by Tetsryu
Summary: She had been broken once, and she would not be shattered again. AU
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey guys, look it's a new story! *dodges objects being thrown* Yes, I know, I'm in the middle of my other story at a freakin' CLIFFHANGER for kami's sake, why now?! Well, first of all, school has prevented me from writing another chapter of 'Sit' (please read, I NEED feedback), and second, I was up in the middle of the night with a plot bunny yesterday and couldn't sleep until I wrote it down. So there. If you didn't read the whole summary, this is an AU. And I never did this in my other fic, but as much as it pains me, Fairy Tail and the beautiful characters Hiro Mashima creates do not belong to me. **

* * *

"Kakusu, I'm back with dinner!"

Levy Mcgarden's exclamation rang through the small apartment, but received no reply. _Huh, that's strange._ Admittedly, she was home a bit earlier than usual, but her boss had decided that for their hard work in the last quarter they could leave halfway through their normal shift. _Ah, it's good to be home!_ Since she had moved in with her boyfriend almost a month before, Levy had always looked forward to coming back to the man she loved. They had met about a year ago in her favorite bookstore, and she couldn't help but feel that her romance was something out of a fairytale. He was absolutely perfect for her in every way, with short dark blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and almost as much of a passion for books as she had. He was, although she was very embarrassed to admit it, her first boyfriend, which had gotten much teasing from her friends over the years. But now she had him, and Levy was convinced that Kakusu Jāku would be the man she married and had children with. They had never gotten that serious, although he had asked a few times, but she always politely refused, not ready for something that involved yet. For now she was content with holding hands and sleeping in the same in the same bed, though he had seemed a bit farther away recently…

Putting her worries aside, she set the food on the kitchen counter and headed down the short hallway to their bedroom. As she neared the door however, she heard what seemed like voices coming from behind it. **Voices. As in plural.** Pushing down her growing dread, Levy slowly cracked open the door.

* * *

The sight that met her eyes made her want to scream, to cry, to do anything to wake up from what seemed to be out of her wildest nightmares. There lay Kakusu, her only one, her soul mate, the man she would spend the rest of her life with, next to a woman she didn't even _recognize_. It didn't take much looking to see that neither were wearing clothes, or that he seemed to be murmuring softly into the unknown person's ear. It was undeniably the individual she had fallen in love with, with another person, but she had to confirm it out loud in the hopes that somehow, _somehow_, she had not been betrayed.

"Kakusu?"

At her words the pair froze, looking towards her form silhouetted against the bright rectangle of light from the partially open door. The woman simply sank back into the bed, as if used to such confrontations, while her lover looked extremely panicked, but remained silent. She knew, now, absolutely, that this was _exactly_ what Levy thought it was, and the only clear thought in her mind was a question, which she soon voiced.

"Why?"

At her inquiry Kakusu's panic melted into an expression that looked almost like pity.

"I asked you Lev, so many times, but you always refused me. I wanted you, so much, but you always stayed so _pure_."

He put on a loose robe and started slowly walking across the room towards the frozen figure in the doorway. Coming within half a foot of her, he reached up a hand to slowly graze her jaw.

"I think, at this point, we can both agree that in the end this was your fault, Levinia."

Hearing this she suddenly jerked away from his hand and anger ignited her words.

"DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH ME! And don't you dare…" she intoned softly, almost spitting out the words, "…call me Levinia."

Without giving him a chance to respond, she bolted out of the room, down the hall, and only stopped to grab her purse before exiting the apartment and slamming the door.

The tears only fell after Levy stood on the side of the darkened street, stars shining coldly above.

* * *

**A/N: Once again, I am SO sorry for not updating my other story yet, but plot bunnies cannot be kept waiting! Please R&R, and I'll see you next time!**


	2. Shock

**A/N: Hello again people of the internet! Yes, I'm updating this story a day later after taking a week on the other one! You got a problem with that? *glares* Anyways, thanks for the review Lexie and let's get on with the show! (Or inner turmoil, whichever.)**

* * *

"Levy?"

A voice seemed to come from a great distance, trying to stir her, but she did not respond. Her mind roiled in a wordless nightmare, happy days intermixed with gruesome images, and in every one he was there, smiling at her, holding her hand, putting his arms around her. But in every memory his face was painted with a pitying, frustrated, and almost _hungry_ gaze that she had never before seen on his features. As much as she fought, she could not escape the hands, the images, or the mocking smile. And suddenly her mouth opened in a piercing, soundless, scream.

"Levy!"

She was jolted awake by a hard impact.

"My god, Levy, are you alright?!"

Her eyes opened to see Lucy Heartfillia standing over her, a look of concern spread across her features. Levy made an effort to smile, but it just came as a weak grimace.

"I'm fine Lu-chan, just a bit sore."

Lucy looked at her skeptically. "You didn't look fine. I heard you scream, then you fell off the couch, and now you're crying. And you still never told me what happened last night."

Levy was slightly confused until she brought her hand to her cheeks to find wetness there. Then everything came back. Coming home, the voices, the _woman_, her only love completely turning on her, and she wanted to scream once more. But despite her trepidation she slowly revealed the betrayal, silent tears running down her face. After exiting the building she hadn't known what to do, where to go, so she just wandered until her feet guided her to her best friend's apartment. Lucy had been startled, to say the least, at the late visit, but seeing Levy's state she had let her in without asking questions and let her collapse onto the couch.

After hearing Levy's story, Lucy's expression turned to quick flashes of pity and sorrow, but the most prevalent emotion was pure, unadulterated rage. This had been the _one_, the best, the first and last boyfriend of Levy Mcgarden. This man was supposed to be the _perfect_ person for her, to live with forever. To have him cheat so quickly just because Levy didn't want to go all the way yet was _absolutely unforgivable_.

"Levy," she intoned in a flat voice, making her friend look up, "what do you need from his apartment?"

Blinking slowly, she almost whispered a list of essential items, and watched as Lucy walked out of the apartment and slammed the door. Finding herself alone the tears lessened, and Levy climbed back onto the couch, curling up and waiting for day to come.

* * *

**Aaand thus I end with angst again. I'm SO SORRY Levy, but apparently every time I write a story apparently you must suffer… It's a writer's thing. Gajeel will either be appearing in the third or fourth chapter. As usual, R&R, and have a nice day, night, or in my case 5:40 in the morning!**

**Lexie Loves Anime- Yes, you have my permission and blessing to brutally murder the asshole. *throws Kakusu at her* **


	3. Mission

**A/N- Hihihihihi everyone, welcome back! Sorry it's been so long, but here's another chapter! **

* * *

_1 year later_

_Riiiiing!_

A small hand flopped around the small table on which the alarm was perched before hitting its top none too gently and retracting. The bed's occupant muttered and turned over in an effort to get back to sleep. Moments later they were frantically rushing around the room with panic in their eyes. Levy Mcgarden was not what anyone would call a 'morning person', especially if she had been up reading all night, but right now her job was more important than sleep. Speeding through her morning routine, she grabbed a bagel before almost running out the apartment and slamming the door.

* * *

Fairy Tail Inc. was not what anyone would call an average business. For example, while most specialized in a certain field of work, Fairy Tail was a collection of small businesses of many kinds. A client sent in their request to the main branch, which was then chosen by one, or a group, of the many workers. Another defining detail lay in eccentricity, to put it lightly, of their employees. Far from cool and collected, it was not uncommon for a fight to break out in the hall. Most also had quite a knack for property damage. But they got the job done, and were actually a very tight-knit community.

Levy herself was an avid reader, so she usually took translating jobs, though they were few and far in between. She also had an uncanny talent for computer coding, but there were never any jobs in that field that particularly interested her. The one time she had used her skills was to pre-order a new book from her favorite author after every copy had been officially taken. She had later regretted her decision, not for its illegality, but what in her words was 'THE WORST BOOK JOHN PATERSIN HAS EVER WRITTEN! THERE'S ALMOST NO ACTION WHATSOEVER, AND THE MOST EXCITING THING IN THE WHOLE BOOK IS WHEN DAGGER ALMOST DIES! THE ENDING SO CHEESY AND CLICHÉ AND HORRIBLE, HE SHOULD NEVER CO-WRITE A BOOK AGAIN!' Needless to say, 'Noextra' was not what she expected.

Levy usually took requests with her two childhood friends, Jet and Droy. Jet had always been a speedster, and never balked at any kind of race, be it cars or his own two feet. Droy on the other hand had never been much for athletics, and had grown, to put it delicately, _larger_ over the years. He was a very knowledgeable gardener, and had a small collection of rare plants at his house. There were two major things these men had in common however. The first was the fact that neither usually had any experience in any of the work that Levy took, resulting in them either sitting off to the side or acting as her pack mules. Another detail, which Levy had found only months before, was that they both loved her. The first to confess had been Jet, then Droy soon after, but the only feelings she had for them were familial, especially in light of what then had been recent events. Yet they still worked as their team, or Team Shadow Gear as it was named, though relations were a bit strained. Both still had their feelings and still tried to woo Levy in various ways, and it was beginning to annoy her. For the past week she had started ignoring them, going on solo missions and staying in the office's library for hours at a time. They always seemed to find her again however, and that irked her even further. She was on the brink at the moment, something that would have been much harder before 'The Incident', and one more thing would push her into dangerous territory indeed. Not many had seen the terror of an angry Levy, but those who had still shuddered at the memory.

* * *

Coming up to the front doors now, Levy hoped that nothing would go wrong for the next 8 hours of her workday, as her temporary adrenaline rush had now faded, leaving a tired and antisocial person in the place of her usual sunny personality. Her prayers were not answered however as she entered the hall to two excited cries of

"Levy!"

"Levy, I got this limited edition book for you!"

"Levy, this headband goes with your favorite dress!"

Pushing past them, the talk soon faded into indiscernible background noise. Honestly, she couldn't tell the difference between them sometimes. Walking up to the request board, she scanned the mottled cork for something interesting and preferably high-paying. Babysitting, capturing thieves, interpret for an ambassador… hmm, that might be good. Yet as she reached to snatch the paper, (which to her chagrin was about an inch too high), Levy heard someone call her name from the second floor.

Looking up, she spotted Fairy Tail's owner, Makarov Dreyar, waving her towards him. Slightly perplexed, she followed the diminutive man into his office. After she had sat down, his grin melted into a very serious expression.

"My child, I have a mission for you."

"A mission? Then why isn't it on the board?"

Makarov shook his head. "This is no paltry request. I'm giving you an S-class mission."

Levy's eyes widened. S-class missions were almost legend in Fairy Tail, said to be only for the best and most capable. They were the highest paying, with up to 100,000,000 jewels put on their completion, but it came at a price. S-class missions were from large corporations, business entities, or even the King of Fiore himself. And most were not entirely within the limits of the law. The only people usually allowed for such dangerous jobs were S-class workers, the strongest and bravest among them, with only one person added a year, or sometimes none. Why would she, someone who couldn't even reach her top bookshelf, be assigned such a thing?

"I-I don't understand. Why are you giving this to me?"

He looked at her gravely. "Because you are the only one capable of completing it. This is a matter of **national security **Levy. Will you not help keep your country safe?"

This left Levy dumbfounded. "O-of course, but what am I supposed to do?"

Makarov's stern expression lessened slightly as he passed her the request paper.

"There has been trouble lately with Bosco, they have started systematically attacking our borders with weapons we didn't know they had. Someone on the inside is supplying them, and if we can't cut them off the situation won't be able to be kept under wraps anymore. This will lead to only one thing; all out war. You need to hack into their database and find out where they're getting the armaments from, and then the government will move in to take them out. Can I trust you with this Levy?"

She was shocked to say the least. Bosco had always been at conflict with Fiore, but they had never stooped to this. And now she was to basically save everyone!? Stuffing down her inner panic, Levy managed to stutter out a

"When should I start?"

At this he lapsed back into his characteristic grin. "As soon as possible. If you need any resources just come to me."

With a nod Levy left the office and reentered the chaos of the main room. It was then that her stomach chose to remind her that she still needed to eat some breakfast. Walking down to the bar, it was only after she had ordered a late brunch from the barmaid Mirajane that the full impact of her mission hit. She, 20-year-old 4' 10" Levy Mcgarden had to hack into a hostile country's database, find their weapons supplier that was _in Magnolia_, and basically save the whole country from war. When Mirajane came with Levy's bacon and eggs, she found the poor girl with her head on the table and purple lines seeming to weigh down her slim figure.

"Levy, are you okay?"

Snapping her head up, Levy quickly pasted on her usual smile and replied.

"Yeah, I'm just fine Mira, thanks for asking!"

The still skeptical barmaid peered at her concernedly as the blunette dug ravenously into her meal.

"Are you sure?"

Still eating as fast as possible, Levy looked at her plate.

"Yeah. Wow, these eggs are cooked perfectly!"

Although a bit worried, Mirajane let it slide.

"Thanks, I have Elfman helping out in the kitchen today!"

Levy looked up, surprised.

"He can cook?"

A sudden shout of "IT'S MANLY TO COOK!" answered her question.

"Well, I've got to get going now Mira, see you later!"

Hopping off the stool, she quickly exited the building and drove back to her apartment. As soon as she got into her room, Levy opened her laptop and started it up.

"Well, let's get started."

* * *

The Phantom arms dealer was a company of wide repute. Besides having some of the better weapon-grade uranium supplies that side of the border, they were also known throughout the black market as taker of all offers, allies to none. They had successfully started some of the more major wars of the decade, along with multitudes of minor conflicts. None however had been so close to home as their current assignment. Some had argued that dealing so close to Fiore was going to get them found out. They were all no longer around to give their rather disagreeable opinions however.

Jose, the Phantom's boss, was not much of an agreeable man. His decisions were always final, and he had the people and the firepower to back it up. There was a team called the Element 4, comprised of Aria, the leader, Juvia Lockser, second-in-command, Sol, and Totomaru. Each held a weapon forged only once, especially for their use. Aria's eyes, once uncovered, were modified to drain energy from his opponents, leaving them in a coma-like state which many died from. Juvia wore a suit that made any kind of attack pass through her as if she was water, and could shoot blistering streams at her enemies. Sol's body had been essentially changed into a flexible drill, letting him pass through the earth easily and create scraping sandstorms. Totomaru wore gloves that let him redirect any sort of fire, and was quite formidable with his katana.

However it was not only their names that were whispered with fear in the underground. There was a single man said to be on par with Aria himself, capable of taking out any of the other members of Phantom. Gajeel 'Kurogane' Redfox. And it was this man who walked into the office of Jose Porla three days afterwards.

At first sight it would immediately be thought that this was a dangerous person indeed. Six feet tall, with long spiked raven hair, his heavily pierced features struck fear into most. His skin was tanned, his arms scarred, his clothes dark. His weapon was of the legendary Dragon set, only seven of their kind in existence. Long blades that seemed almost extensions of him when they were unsheathed from the hidden casings in his skin, and the studded combat boots he wore hid daggers, or long iron poles that could be rapidly shot. Overall, the wrath of 'Black Steel' was not taken lightly.

"Ah, Gajeel, you've come."

Gajeel smirked. "Who do you want me to rough up?"

"Right to the point I see. Over the past few days, a pesky little fly has been buzzing into our business with Bosco. One Levy Mcgarden." He slid a photograph across the desk. "She is getting awfully close to hacking our mainframe, which would be quite a hindrance. I need you to put her in the hospital long enough that no one else tries to repeat her actions."

His smirk widened into a terrifying grin. "Will do, Master."

"Good. I expect results by tomorrow."

And with that Gajeel left, studying the picture. The girl wasn't even five feet tall, and looked as if she wouldn't hurt a fly. _What a shrimp._ He was however a bit impressed that such a shrimp had managed to almost trace them, especially a _girl_. Girls were little yappy things that annoyed him, like Chihuahuas. That this one could have been their downfall was a surprise to him. But it wasn't like he cared whether Phantom went under, as long as _he _didn't go with it. This was just something to do so he had food and a place to live. And then there was the fighting. Yes, the fighting could be fun sometimes, although he had never found anyone who could match him outside Phantom. But it was better than the street brawls he used to get into. He glanced at the name on the back of the photograph.

_Levy Mcgarden huh?_

* * *

**Aaaand end! Yep I pulled a timeskip on you, (my inner Mashima has risen), but don't worry, jerkface- I mean Kakusu is not forgotten, he will come back later. Sorry for the late update, school +procrastination+ Writer's Block= late chapter. Thanks to my friend, who I will call Bucket-chan (yes she is a Homestuck fan), for helping me with this, and I hope the next chapter won't take so long! I have also used this to vent my rage at 'Nevermore' for all you Maximum Ride fans.**

**HeartGold12- When I saw your review it was like dcflkem;wald'vbl'v; rgt?! I love your stories and I'm glad you like mine! Can I call you Phoenix-chan? And here is your longer chapter, hope it is enjoyable!**

**lexie loves anime- Aaaaawright then. I fully support your actions. *thumbs up***

**Write-A-Rainbow- It's okay, I hardly ever check my e-mail. Seriously, like once a month. Maybe. And Lucy is such a good friend, isn't she? Don't worry, I will give her a flashback of ****_exactly_**** what she does to him**

**Guest- I love to torture her for reasons yet unknown to myself… and there's your Gajeel.**


	4. Found

**A/N- IMPORTANT! Alright, last chappie Lillia Enchanted brought a VERY IMPORTANT point up. She asked (indirectly) about there being any lemons or limes. The absolute answer is NO, I don't either write OR read such things, especially about Gajeel and Levy. I'm not dissing those who do (you know who you are), but I do NOT. Number 1, because I'm 13 FOR GOODNESS SAKE, I DO NOT WANT TO BE DOING THIS. And also because GaLe is my OTP, and I love them very much. But if I ever read something like that, I just wouldn't be able to think the same about them, it would just be- ****_tainted_****, I guess you could call it. Once again, I mean no offense to those who do write or read lemons and limes, I just don't. So don't worry Lillia, none of my stories will EVER go to any kind of M rating or contain mature content. Happy reading! And quick advice: really good music to listen to when reading this chapter after Jet attacks- ** www. youtube watch?v=p9XMd2eAy_4 (no spaces)** You may have to put it on repeat.**

* * *

"Now if I can just rewrite the hexagonal coding into Geel grammar, and figure out the key code…"

It had been 3 days since Master Makarov had assigned her the mission, and just as many since she had started. Bosco certainly lived up to its reputation of reputation of one of the best secured countries on the continent. Levy had to get through 3-layer firewalls, complicated passwords, and work her way around some _very_ nasty viruses. But she was close, so close she could almost touch the information that seemed inches from her fingertips.

_Just one more file proxy._ Typing in a string of code that would make no sense to most, Levy bit her lip slightly as she pressed _Enter_.

Suddenly the screen went black, then almost a blinding white. She started to panic, biting down hard enough to draw blood. This had never happened before, it usually went automatically to the home screen if successful. Had she used the wrong translation rate? Ooh, she just knew that she had missed a subroutine before configuring the mainframe display, hadn't she. And she _had_ skimmed over the last stretch of coding, that was a mistake. She could get a virus, or spyware, or even just shut down permanently. Or even worse, she now realized, they could be alerted to her location. And then not only would she have a country out for her blood, but their weapons dealer too. Levy would be dead within days, if not hours. Oh no, she had to leave the city, the country, the _continent_ for Mavis' sake! She had to start packing, books, her reading glasses, her writing journals-

_BOOOONG_

She blinked and turned back towards her laptop's screen. It had changed from white to a neutral gray color, and as she watched Bosco's royal crest appeared in the center; a twin-headed eagle holding a chain in one set of talons and a cat-o-nine-tails in the other. Staring wide-eyed at the monitor, Levy's mouth gaped open as icons began appearing; rows upon rows of files with every record and plan created since the country's founding. Slowly closing her mouth, she blinked slowly before a wide grin spread over her features. She had done it! Little old bookworm Levy Mcgarden hacked into the database of one the best secured countries in the continent! But now was something only slightly easier: finding the information she needed. On the homepage alone were over 50 folders, and each had subfolders and applications and who knows what else. It would take a long time to sort through it all.

_Well let's get started_

* * *

Hours later night had fallen, but a certain blunette hadn't noticed. She had looked over hundreds of documents, and her eyes ached from peering at the lit screen. Going methodically through the files, she was on one of the last folders when she found it. Under a pile of older receipts, there was a much more recent transaction with… _Phantom Lord?! _The name made her pupils dilate. Levy had heard of Phantom Lord before, a prominent arms dealer a few towns away. If they were supplying Bosco, then the situation was even worse than she'd feared. She needed to tell Makarov, _now._

Quickly packing up her laptop and putting on flats, she rushed out of her apartment and slammed the door.

Only to be greeted by Jet and Droy arguing over who was going to knock on the door.

"I was here first!"

"But I want to see her _more!_"

At the sight of Levy however both brightened considerably and glomped her chorusing "Levy!"

The woman herself was not amused and quickly squirmed out of their grip."What are you doing here? I need to go to the office!"

Jet looked at her confusedly. "We came here to give you dinner Levy, you haven't come out for days! And why do you need to go _now?_"

She looked frantic. "I just finished something for Makarov, and it's _really_ important!"

At this the men's expressions dropped. "So you're going now?"

Droy quickly cut in. "Then we'll go with you!"

Levy, now seeing that the would not be dissuaded from spending time with her, sighed and started running down the hall, the boys close behind.

* * *

They were nearing the park, a few blocks away from Fairy Tail, when it happened. One moment Jet and Droy were next to her, then the next Droy was gone. The two remaining people looked around, trying to spot their attacker. It was only his quick feet that spared Jet from the same fate, jumping high just as a cloud of dust obscured where he had stood moments before. When it cleared the first feature seen was a spiked mass of raven hair. When they straightened garnet eyes and a heavily pierced face turned towards him, scowling, but soon focused on the small blunette. By this time she had already pulled out her weapon, a specially modified quill pen. With it Levy could modify the air molecules into a number of different elements. However it was a fairly new technology with low power in both intensity and runtime. But for now she had to hope it was enough as she shot out a huge blast of fire.

When the flames cleared her eyes were met with a sight that made Levy step back. Instead of seeing burnt and blistered skin as she expected, row upon row of blackened scales gleamed in the low light. As she watched they slowly receded back into his dark clothing, leaving the skin underneath unmarred. Then a low rumbling voice came from the figure.

"Not bad shrimp, not bad at all."

_Shrimp? Where did that come from?_ But there was no time to think about it as Jet jumped from his perch on a large tree, kicking at the now unarmored figure.

"Falcon's Dive!"

Yet even as he came within a foot of the taller man's head, there seemed to be a flicker of metal before Jet's chest erupted with blood, a large X slashed across it. Time seemed to slow as he fell, crimson arcs spreading from the wounds. Then it came back into focus as an iron pole smashed into his torso, making him spit blood. Levy stood stock-still as the man turned once more towards her, now with long swords extending from his arms, scarlet streams dripping onto the grass. It was his eyes that drew her attention as he walked slowly towards her, like a hunter stalking its prey. They were blood-red, cold, sadistic, everything she wasn't. These were the eyes of a killer. And he would enjoy it too, she saw, slowly, agonizingly ripping her apart like some kind of meat, destroying her from the inside. It was only after this that she began to back away, trying to think of a way to get out of this situation. Levy soon hit a wall, and this only made him move a little bit slower, prolonging her terror. When he came within 3 feet of her she could stand it no longer and shot a small bolt of lightning at him, but it only flickered around his skin and made him look even more menacing. So Levy ran. She ran as fast as she could down the deserted street, knowing it would be of no use. He caught up to her easily, his much longer strides outpacing her frantic sprint within seconds. And then the game began again. Once more she ran, and once again he was close behind, over and over again. It was a game of cat and mouse, with only one inevitable ending. As small and quick as Levy was, she was beginning to tire, and that was when he would strike. This came all too soon as she fell at full speed, scraping her knees and chin against the rough cobbles. Her laptop bag came off and smashed against stone, shattering loudly.

And that was when he moved.

With almost inhuman speed the man darted to where she lay and slashed her across her bare back, just deep enough to hurt. Then it was her arms, and her legs, and her tender stomach, each as agonizing as the last. When finally he paused in his tearing she raised her trembling hand, pen clutched tightly within it. Focusing the last of power Levy uttered a single word:

"Lightning."

Unlike the first bolt she shot this one was much larger and brighter, illuminating half of the park. When it struck this time instead of shaking it off as earlier, he jerked slightly and a burn mark appeared on his chest. His voice rumbled out again, his eyes slit.

"You'll pay for that."

Then instead of cutting her she was hit, iron clubs resounding against her fragile skin. He seemed to know exactly where to push, what would hurt the most but still leave her alive. After what seemed like hours of this treatment he stopped once again, an insane grin spread across his features. He picked her up, dragging her by her hair to the largest tree in the park. Also gathering Jet and Droy, he began climbing, their bodies stretched across his shoulders. When he reached a medium height branch he took Droy off and held him against one side of the trunk and pinning his arms with crude metal restraints, letting his weight fall completely. The same treatment was given to Jet on the other side. When Levy was taken off however instead of being suspended quickly there was another surprise in store for her. He had taken out a small tube of paint, smearing some on his finger. Then he began to trace a symbol on her stomach, giving her cold shivers down her spine. The paint mixed with her blood and became the dark ruby of his eyes, and he smiled at this, knowing she would never forget. Only after the symbol of his company was dried upon her smooth skin did he begin to string her up between the two men. Just before letting go of her limp body he whispered quietly into her ear.

"Tell the old man that Jose gives his regards."

And with that he left, jumping stealthily onto the nearest rooftop.

It was only minutes later that Levy finally fell unconscious.

* * *

**Okay, one thing before I respond to reviews. My dear friend Bucket-chan wants Jet and Droy to die. I'm not so certain. So I'm putting up a poll where YOU decide their fate. Please vote as soon as possible! AND, also important, I've decided that one lucky person will help decide what Lucy did to assho- I mean Kakusu. The 15****th**** person to review (I'm not talking about stupid two word reviews) will be PMed by me and together we will discuss his fate! MWAHAHAHAHA *cough* 'scuse me.**

**And now, iiiiit's review response time!**

**Lillia Enchanted- I know, thanks for the approval! And if you didn't read the first A/N, you need to.**

**Lexie loves anime- Well of ****_course_**** I couldn't have him be good at the beginning, that wouldn't be any fun silly. And if I ****_ever _****write a fic that they're both in and they ****_don't _****get together (unless it's a oneshot) then there is something wrong with me.**

**Write-A-Rainbow- I was really fun for me to think up how their different 'powers' would work without magic, and I'm glad you liked it too!**


	5. Seek

**A/N- HEEEEEEEY GUYS, LOOK IT'S A NEW CHAPTER! *cowers behind chair* Okay look, I know that this took 3 weeks to get out, but I HAVE REASONS.**

**1. School is evil.**

**2. I need to practice my clarinet because festival is coming up.**

**3. IT'S FREAKIN' GAJEVY WEEK I WAS ADMIRING THE BEAUTIFUL STRORIES AND ART!**

**4. It took weeks for 3 people to vote and decide who will die, I wanted to see if anyone else would.**

**Alright, enough of my lame excuses. You may have noticed that this story has 16 reviews. If you actually read A/Ns (kudos to you patient people who do) then you might remember that I said that the 15****th**** reviewer would help me plot Kakus- *cough* fucktard *cough* fate. The 15****th**** reviewer was Write-A-Rainbow, and we are corresponding now.**

**To the chapter, Allons-y!**

* * *

It was happening again.

For a few months after the incident, Levy had had nightmares of that night, those memories. They had later stopped, and not appeared since, but now they were replaced by a different, and infinitely more terrifying set of events.

Now she walked, Jet and Droy by her sides, but this time Droy had not simply been swept away. Instead a sharp blade seemed to sprout from his chest, blood trickling out of his mouth. She heard a low chuckle from behind her and whirled around, only to suddenly hear a scream from Jet as he was slashed in the same pattern as before. Both men fell, unmoving, scarlet pools spreading around their prone figures. She backed away slowly, unable to tear her eyes from the bodies that lay sprawled on the ground. Her back hit rough bark, and she looked back only to see them nailed crudely to the tree's trunk, heads hanging at an unnatural angle. Crimson eyes glinted from high in the leaves, and he slowly stepped out of the shadows, canines glinting in the low light. With all the grace of a trained predator he leaped towards her trembling figure.

And then she woke again to her own bloodcurdling scream.

Opening blurred eyes Levy found herself in a sterile white room, surrounded by beeping instruments. She looked down to see herself in a hospital bed with crisp white sheets covering her lower half. Trying to move them off she suddenly felt a searing pain run throughout her body, paralyzing her muscles, and she almost screamed again. Gritting her teeth, Levy slowly pulled down the thin blankets, and wished she hadn't.

Even under the gown she wore there was no mistaking the sharp lines that cut across her thin body in a torrent, leaving hardly any visible skin. Any part that had not been completely covered by the dress she wore was almost shredded, and some that were. They were not deep enough to scar, but that somehow made them even more terrible, more terrifying than if he had cut her to the marrow.

It was then that a nurse rushed into the room, quickly sedating the sobbing girl and pulling the sheets back over her limp form before once again leaving to tell a doctor.

* * *

When she woke again Lucy was at her bedside.

"Hi Levy."

"W-where?" she managed to croak through a sore throat.

"We brought all of you to Magnolia Hospital."

Levy's eyes widened and she tried to sit up only to be held down by her friend. "Jet, D-droy, are they okay? Where are they?"

Lucy looked away. "Droy was only knocked out, he'll be fine in just a bit. And Jet…" she sighed before continuing "He's not doing so good, lost a lot of blood before we got here. They still have him in the ICU."

Levy resisted the urge to cry, unshed tears glittering in her eyes. "This is my fault, I shouldn't have let them come with me…" she frowned "But they shouldn't have come, those stupid bakas."

Lucy smiled. "Now there's the Levy I know. How are you feeling?"

"Besides hurting like crazy, not too bad." She replied, a small smile on her features. But while her wounds would leave no mark, her mind was shaken, badly. Levy had never led much of an eventful life, nor had she gotten into a situation this serious before. For something like this to happen to _her_ of all people seemed unlikely, if not impossible. The only thing close to this scale had been… a long time ago. The most painful memory she had, worse than the events of a year before.

Seeing the pained expression on her friend's face, Lucy tried to change the subject.

"Anyways, I'll be getting back to Fairy Tail, they're not just gonna let this pass." Her eyes seemed to blaze as she spoke. "We _will _get revenge for you Levy, I swear it."

Levy nodded, Lucy's words giving her little comfort. "Then I guess I'll rest up. Come back later and tell me what happens, okay?"

"Hai, I'll see you later."

And with that Lucy stepped out of the room.

* * *

When she stepped back into Fairy Tail the main hall was a whirlwind of activity. People were discussing strategy, collecting weapons, or even just arguing over what to do. Master Makarov was nowhere to be seen, presumably secluded in his office. Dodging people she quickly navigated up the stairs and in front of the door, knocking quickly.

"Come in."

She quickly entered and shut the door behind her, cutting off the rush of sound. Makarov was sitting behind his desk, head in his hands. He looked up as she came in front of him, a somber yet sorrowful expression adorning his features.

"I presume you want to know our next actions."

Lucy nodded. "We have to do something."

"I have called Erza, Natsu, and Gray, they should be here shortly."

As if on cue someone knocked sharply on the door. Lucy opened it to find her teammates standing there, faces barely concealing righteous rage. Even Natsu's features were serious, his infinite quarrel with Gray put aside. When all had entered, Makarov began to speak.

"You all know of the attack of Levy, Jet, and Droy. What you do not know however is the reason why. Three days ago I assigned Levy an S-class mission. She had to hack into the country of Bosco and find their weapons dealer. I trusted her with this only because she was the only person with the capabilities to complete it. Now, I realize this may have been a mistake. However-"

"NO SHIT IT WAS A MISTAKE! WHY WOULD YOU GIVE SOMETHING THAT DANGEROUS TO **HER,** SHE COULD'VE BEEN KILLED!" Natsu's loud exclamation rang through the small office like a dragon's roar, blotting out every other sound from the next room. He stood, face inches from Makarov's, hands almost splintering the desk underneath them. His teeth were bared, canines dangerously sharp. Makarov stared silently forward, expression unreadable.

"However, whether she had completed it beforehand or not, we now know the culprit. You may have already heard of the Phantom Lord dealer. They are a quite prominent member of the underground, but too good at cleaning up to find evidence against. This is the first time they've operated so close to home. I've let them go off on the sidelines as long as nothing major happened, but this…" he paused, his face thunderous "… is _unacceptable._ Needless to say we will take action. However if it is in the government's radar, mission or not, they will have to act against us. That's why I have called all of you here. We will be launching a covert operation into their headquarters to both seek information regarding their deal and with Bosco, and taking out Jose, along with Levy's attacker."

"Whoever it was, they will soon regret it." Erza stated solemnly.

"Then I suppose it would not surprise you to hear that it was the one they call Kurogane?"

Lucy looked around confusedly. "Who's 'Kurogane'?"

Natsu turned to the side. "He's nothing special."

"Do not underestimate our enemy Natsu, it is not for kindness that he is named Black Steel. Gajeel 'Kurogane' Redfox is one of the strongest people in Phantom Lord, along with the team called the Element 4. He, like Natsu, also wields one of the Dragon weapons."

She looked at the rose-haired man with surprise. "I thought those were almost lost to history, how did he get one?"

"Same way I did probably." He muttered, extremely pissed.

"However, unlike Natsu's weapon of flame, he mastered the element of metals, or more specifically, iron."

Lucy's eyes widened. "And Levy was bound with… oh god."

Makarov nodded. "Exactly. So I advise that only Natsu try to defeat him"

"That iron bastard will _fry._" Natsu hissed, small gouts of flame coming off of him. His powers were vastly different. He had another channel from his mouth, almost a second stomach, which held highly flammable gas. This stomach let him seep the gas out from any part of his body, and ignite it with tiny sparks from his pores, covering his fire-proof skin in searing flames. By this he could also channel it into his mouth for a fiery blast. Natsu also had the ability to 'eat' fire by his mouth condensing it into gas as it entered, the liquid moving to the second stomach. This held true for all Dragon wielders according to their respective elements, giving different abilities. While all could channel the roar, Natsu cloaked himself in flame, yet the Kurogane built a set of iron armor-like scales. Only one Dragon could hope to defeat another.

"I will explain the details of the plan as we get there, but for now we must go."

And with that they departed through the office's back door and into the night, ready to make their move.

* * *

Arriving at the depot, they quickly enacted their plan. Erza took one side of the building while Gray focused on the other, quickly climbing the high fence and avoiding the coils of barbed wire. Natsu, Lucy, and Makarov headed to the back. Natsu melted a small hole in the metal, only large enough for them to fit through, and just avoided the sweeping spotlight of a guard. Getting to the back door, Lucy went to work, quietly picking the lock. Entering, Natsu split away to search for Kurogane, while the other two headed to the top floor. Lucy would get on the computer to find evidence against Phantom, while Makarov confronted Jose. Gray and Erza would keep the small fry away until the other three completed their tasks. If all went well, they could be in and out within an hour.

Of course it didn't go well.

As soon as they located Jose's office and found he wasn't there, Makarov departed elsewhere. This left Lucy in the darkened room, the steady hum of the computer her only companion.

Or so she thought.

As the door shut silently behind her, a dark figure with blazing crimson eyes stole up behind the oblivious girl. It was only when a long rapier-like blade was held to her throat did she notice, a sharp intake of breath escaping her involuntarily.

"Well well, looks like a fairy wandered in, gihihi."

* * *

**Okay, looks like things are really HEATING UP NOW! (ahahahaha I so punny) Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter, sorry if it's reeeeeeally late, and hope to see you again soon!**

**Carlygrl15- Meh, I could bear them before the timeskip, but after it was more like 'SHOVE OFF, LEVY DOESN'T LIKE YOU YA DAMN PEDOS!' As for killing them off… *cackles* you'll just have to see, won't you?**

**IxiaLiliana- Yep, there will be deviations from the canon storyline, but it will still be tied to the manga mostly.**

**Lexie loves anime- Me and Write-A-Rainbow are corresponding, and *chuckles darkly* you have no idea.**

**Yukiiaroo- I do love my capslock. Yeah, I usually write these all at once so a little error is to be expected. Really don't like self-insert stories though. You don't read fanfiction to put yourself there, you read it to see all your favorite characters in different scenarios, different worlds. It's not the M-rating I don't read, but smut. (Really don't know where my life would be without having read Hard Liquor, Sick, or any number of other beautiful stories.) I thank you for your respect.**

**Random-Dudette98- Firstly, I'm happy that you appreciated the timeskip.**

**Secondly, WOO-HOO another person on the 'Modern-Fairy-Tail-Is-Awesome' train!**

**Thirdly, I really had to, plus it acted as a channel for what I wished she'd do to them.**

**Fourthly, Ehehehehe, yep.**

**Fithly, life is always full of surprises.**

**Sixthly, good 'cause you're stuck with it.**

**Seventhly, yes, but it will be minor.**

**Eighthly, yes, yes I am.**

**Ninthly, as I said to lexie loves anime a while back, be my guest. *throws Kakusu into screaming mob***

**Tenthly, OMG TEN!**

**Write-A-Rainbow- ALL HAIL THY 15****TH**** REVIEWER! Yeah, had a good time figuring them out. It's alright, the only reason I keep up so well with P.M.s is I can get on fanfiction on my 3ds, which I have pretty much 24/7. And I can't actually TYPE as much as I'd like because I have to steal the laptop every time. *screams internally***

**Fred and George Weasley Twins- Silly boys, of course he goes overboard, this is Gajeel-Kurogane-Sadistic-Little-Shit-Redfox we speak of.**

**Anyways, hope the next update is sooner, have a nice day/night whenever the hell you're reading this, and see you guys next time!**

**-Tetsryu**


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